Justified (2003) was a blockbuster album by Justin Timberlake, his first recording after leaving the band N Sync. The album has signalled Timberlake's desire craft a more mature image than that of "boy band member."
The album was fronted by "Like I Love You", a hit single that proved Timberlake's solo sales could rival his former band's. It was produced by The Neptunes, one of the most famous and highly-regarded production units in the country, and was accompanied by a music video that showed Timberlake's veneration for pop icon
Michael Jackson.
The popularity of the first single was equalled or surpassed by the releases which followed:
- "Rock Your Body", a disco-infused dance number
- "Cry Me a River", a ballad (accompanied by a dark video depicting a tale of rejection and revenge, which could be seen as evocative of his relationship with Britney Spears)
- "Seniorita", a dancable love song with a vaguely Latin atmosphere
(Another single released that year, but which did not appear on the album,
was "I'm Lovin' It", which proved extremely lucrative when it was sold to the McDonalds Corporation for use in a massive TV and radio advertising blitz.)
In early February of 2004, Timberlake and Justified were honored with three Grammys at the awards ceremony in New York City.
